Welcome to HVAC-Talk.com, a non-DIY site and the ultimate Source for HVAC Information & Knowledge Sharing for the industry professional! Here you can join over 150,000 HVAC Professionals & enthusiasts from around the world discussing all things related to HVAC/R. You are currently viewing as a NON-REGISTERED guest which gives you limited access to view discussions

To gain full access to our forums you must register; for a free account. As a registered Guest you will be able to:

Participate in over 40 different forums and search/browse from nearly 3 million posts.

I have a 4 ton Rheem heat pump that I'm looking at for a friend. It cools good, and it heats good. The complaint is that he has to reset the high pressure switch on very cold days.

I slap the gauges on it in cooling and get 40 suction & 150 head on a 75* day. Evap is clean, blower etc. . I tried to add a little gas , no pressure changes...So I tried it in heating mode. Switched my gauges ,fired it up and now really scratching my head ,120 suction ,125 head.

In cooling mode the center tube on reversing valve back to compressor was cool and right tube was cool . Only 4* temp difference. In heating mode the same two tubes were warm. That don't seem right to me? Should it be the tube on left now for heat. RLA for comp 29.1 It was pulling 14.3 in both modes. Is my RV bad ? Or is this scroll compressor kicking my butt ? Also flutter on high side gauge in heat mode only. Heat pumps a rare for me to see.

you might check your indoor coil and filters also return sizes these things can cause high pres in the heat cycle as well as if it is an electric airhandler make sure heating element are not all on when in w1 and that there is outdoor stat that cuts hp off below 30 degrees when aux is called for only 1 or 2 heating elements should be on if it is a duel fuel system that is a whole different ball game

The pressures are too low. Also the suction line to the compressor should never be warm. It sounds like the compressor was not running thereby equalizing the high & low pressures & that would also explain why the warm suction line between the reversing valve and the compressor.

Staying in defrost too long maybe, I cant see a stuck RV or one leaking by causing the HP switch to trip, that would make the head pressure lower and the suction higher, you may have more than one problem

Originally posted by searstech3 the same two tubes were warm.That don't seem right to me?
No, it aint right.
Should it be the tube on left now for heat.
On the side with three lines (bottom) you want the middle and one side or the other to be cool.On the side with one line (top) you want it and one of the bottom lines to be hot.
Is my RV bad ?

Originally posted by swampfox Staying in defrost too long maybe, I cant see a stuck RV or one leaking by causing the HP switch to trip, that would make the head pressure lower and the suction higher, you may have more than one problem

He said that when he switched it to heating his suction was 120 and head 125. Thats high suction and low head, isnt it?